Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Design of Biodegradable PU Textile Coating

Researchers developed a biodegradable polyurethane coating for textiles as an alternative to conventional coatings that contribute to microplastic pollution when they end up in landfills. The new coating achieved nearly 60% biodegradation in soil while maintaining acceptable water barrier and mechanical properties. The study demonstrates that functional textile coatings can be designed to break down naturally, reducing their long-term environmental impact.

2024 Polymers 4 citations
Article Tier 2

High-Performance Castor Oil-Based Polyurethane Composites Reinforced by Birch Wood Fibers

Not relevant to microplastics — this paper reports the development of bio-based polyurethane coatings reinforced with birch wood fibers, a materials science study focused on sustainable construction coatings.

2023 Applied Sciences 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Liquidlike, Low‐Friction Polymer Brushes for Microfibre Release Prevention from Textiles

Researchers developed a polymer brush coating strategy that practically eliminates microfiber release from synthetic textiles during washing. The study demonstrates that applying liquid-like, low-friction coatings to fibers significantly reduces the mechanical abrasion that causes millions of microplastic fibers to shed into wastewater.

2024 Small 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro- and Nanoplastics Produced from Textile Finishes: A Review

This review examines how textile finishes and coatings contribute to micro- and nanoplastic pollution during washing and wear. Researchers found that polymeric-based finishes applied to textiles can release significant quantities of plastic particles, identifying the textile industry as an underexplored but important source of environmental microplastic contamination.

2024 Langmuir 12 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microencapsulation for Functional Textile Coatings with Emphasis on Biodegradability—A Systematic Review

This systematic review found that microencapsulation techniques for functional textile coatings are well-established for conventional shell materials, but biodegradable alternatives remain limited and often sacrifice durability. The review identified that most microcapsule shell materials are synthetic polymers that can contribute to microplastic pollution when they degrade from textile surfaces during washing. Developing truly biodegradable microcapsule formulations is essential for reducing the microplastic fiber shedding that makes textiles one of the largest sources of microplastic pollution.

2021 Coatings 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Valorization of textile waste: non-woven structures and composites

This review explores how textile waste -- millions of tons discarded annually -- contributes to pollution in air, water, and soil, even when disposed of in landfills. The paper discusses ways to repurpose waste textiles from materials like polyester and nylon into useful products for construction, insulation, and agriculture. This is relevant to microplastic concerns because synthetic textiles are one of the largest sources of microfiber pollution, and finding ways to recycle them reduces the microplastics released into the environment.

2024 Frontiers in Environmental Science 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Understanding visible light and microbe-driven degradation mechanisms of polyurethane plastics: Pathways, property changes, and product analysis

Researchers found that polyurethane plastics break down in water through a combination of microbial action and light exposure, producing secondary microplastics as they degrade. This study reveals a previously underappreciated source of microplastic pollution, since polyurethane is widely used in coatings, foams, and other products that often end up in waterways.

2024 Water Research 65 citations
Article Tier 2

Synthetic fibers as microplastics in the marine environment: A review from textile perspective with a focus on domestic washings

This review examined synthetic fibers as a source of microplastics in the marine environment, tracing the full textile lifecycle from manufacturing through use and disposal to understand where and how fibers enter aquatic systems.

2017 The Science of The Total Environment 742 citations
Article Tier 2

Functionalization of polymers and nanomaterials for water treatment, food packaging, textile and biomedical applications: a review

This review covers surface functionalization strategies for polymers and nanomaterials to improve adhesion, wettability, biocompatibility, and performance in water treatment, food packaging, and biomedical applications. Functionalization is highlighted as an approach to expand the utility of inert conventional polymers and nanomaterials without the environmental drawbacks of additive-laden plastic products.

2020 Environmental Chemistry Letters 229 citations
Article Tier 2

Fibras Têxteis Sintéticas E a Liberação De Microplásticos: Uma Revisão

This review synthesizes published research on the release of microplastic fibers from synthetic textiles during domestic laundering, examining the mechanisms, quantities, and environmental fate of fiber shedding into waterways and the resulting risks to aquatic ecosystems and human health.

2022 MIX Sustentável 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Formation of Nano- and Microplastics and Dissolved Chemicals During Photodegradation of Polyester Base Fabrics with Polyurethane Coating

Researchers investigated the photodegradation of polyester fabrics with polyurethane coating, a common composite material in synthetic leather, to understand microplastic and chemical release. The study found that the PU coating delayed but did not prevent degradation, with both microplastic fibers and particles being released along with dissolved chemicals, highlighting the environmental risks of composite plastic materials.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology 73 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic fibres from synthetic textiles: Environmental degradation and additive chemical content

Researchers studied how common synthetic textile fibers — polyester, polyamide, and polyacrylonitrile — degrade in seawater and freshwater under UV light exposure. They found that these fibers release chemical additives as they break down, with polyester and polyamide releasing particularly concerning levels of plastic-related chemicals into the surrounding water.

2020 Environmental Pollution 304 citations
Article Tier 2

Sustainable Approaches in Textile Finishing to Control Microfiber Releases

This review examines sustainable textile finishing approaches designed to reduce microfiber releases from synthetic fabrics. Researchers discuss various treatment methods that can minimize the shedding of microplastic fibers during washing and use, addressing one of the major sources of microplastic pollution entering waterways.

2024 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microfiber Emissions from Functionalized Textiles: Potential Threat for Human Health and Environmental Risks

This review examines how textiles release tiny plastic fibers during washing and wearing, making them a major source of microplastic pollution. These microfibers, often treated with chemicals like flame retardants and antimicrobials, are too small for most wastewater filters to catch. They end up in waterways, soil, and air, where they can be inhaled or ingested by humans, potentially carrying harmful chemicals into the body.

2023 Toxics 65 citations
Article Tier 2

Releases of microplastics and chemicals from nonwoven polyester fabric-based polyurethane synthetic leather by photoaging

Researchers compared microplastic fiber release and chemical transformation from polyurethane-coated synthetic leather and uncoated nonwoven PET fabric under UV photoaging, finding that the PU coating reduced fiber release but increased the degree of chemical oxidation. Photoaging of synthetic leather products produces microplastic fibers and chemical breakdown products that enter aquatic environments.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 27 citations
Review Tier 2

Microplastic pollution from textiles: A literature review

This review examines the current state of knowledge on microplastic pollution, focusing specifically on synthetic microfibre shedding from textiles during washing and the significance of this source for marine and freshwater contamination.

2018 Duo Research Archive (University of Oslo) 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Synthetic microfibers and tyre wear particles pollution in aquatic systems: Relevance and mitigation strategies

This review compiles evidence on synthetic microfibers from textiles and tire wear particles as major sources of aquatic microplastics, estimating concentrations across different water body types and evaluating mitigation strategies ranging from washing machine filters to stormwater treatment.

2021 Environmental Pollution 94 citations
Article Tier 2

Novel Treatment to Immobilize and Use Textiles Microfibers Retained in Polymeric Filters through Their Incorporation in Composite Materials

Researchers developed a novel method to immobilize textile microfibers captured in polymeric washing machine filters by incorporating them into composite polymer matrices, transforming a waste microplastic stream into a potentially reusable construction or industrial material rather than releasing it to the environment.

2022 Polymers 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling Physical and Chemical Effects of Textile Microfibers

This review examines both the physical and chemical effects of textile microfibers on organisms, discussing how these most prevalent microplastics expose biota to manufacturing chemicals and environmental contaminants across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems.

2022 Water 35 citations
Article Tier 2

The Effect of the Physical and Chemical Properties of Synthetic Fabrics on the Release of Microplastics during Washing and Drying

Researchers investigated how the physical and chemical properties of synthetic fabrics influence microplastic fiber release during washing and drying, finding that fabric construction, fiber type, and surface treatment are key determinants of the quantity and characteristics of released microplastic particles.

2022 Polymers 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Fibras Sintéticas como um tipo de microplástico: caminhos para o setor têxtil atuar no combate ao lixo no mar

This Brazilian doctoral thesis examines synthetic fiber release from textile laundering as a major source of microplastic pollution in waterways and the ocean. The work reviews textile parameters affecting fiber release and analyzes certification and regulatory strategies that the textile sector could adopt to reduce marine fiber litter.

2023
Article Tier 2

Key examples of nanotechnology in microplastics, packaging and textiles

This review examined how nanotechnology intersects with microplastics, packaging, and textiles — covering surface functionalizations, functional coating systems, and nanomaterial safety issues — and presented a three-stage membrane filter cascade for analytical investigation of micro- and nanoplastic risk assessment.

2025 Next research.
Article Tier 2

A review of the current status of microfiber pollution research in textiles

This review synthesizes research on microfiber shedding from textiles, examining how fiber properties (length, diameter, twist, surface treatment) influence how much a fabric sheds during laundering. Microfibers from textile washing are one of the largest sources of microplastic fiber pollution in wastewater and aquatic environments globally.

2020 International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Microfiber Release to Water, Via Laundering, and to Air, via Everyday Use: A Comparison between Polyester Clothing with Differing Textile Parameters

Researchers measured microfiber release from polyester garments into both wash water and air during everyday wear, finding that release into air was comparable to or exceeded laundry release and was influenced by fabric structure, yarn type, and twist level.

2020 Environmental Science & Technology 404 citations